Christian Hackenberg Commitment An Indirect Slap to NCAA

By Jack Jorgensen

Kim Clement- USA Today Sports

With the commitment of whom many consider to be the No. 1 QB prospect in the nation, Christian Hackenberg, the Penn State Nittany Lions can certainly hold their heads high today. Locking up a recruit like that, especially when most of the nation wrote you off for dead less than a year ago, is quite the accomplishment in today’s world. Locking up the coveted prospect isn’t just a victory for Penn State on the field, as much as it is off.

Hackenberg first committed to Happy Valley before it was known that they would be dealt the harsh penalties that they were. When the penalties were handed out this past June, many folks, myself included, assumed that Hackenberg would take his accurate arm and mobility elsewhere. That, to many people’s surprise, proved not to be the case. Hackenberg stated on more than one occasion since Penn State was dealt the blow that he was sticking by his commitment, and he proved that today by signing his LOI for the Lions.

Christian has stated before that part of the reason that he was sticking with this decision was because he wanted to be tutored by PSU Head Coach and QB expert, Bill O’Brien. Nittany Lion fans almost had to deal with a disaster earlier this month, when it was widely speculated that O’Brien would entertain one of the vacant NFL head coaching positions. Luckily, that’s not a problem that Nittany Lion faithful have to face right now.

Nonetheless, it’s still shocking to me that Penn State was still able to pull this off, regardless of coaching situation. You’ll come to find out that I, like many, am not the biggest fan of the boys down in Indianapolis that work in the NCAA building. Having such a coveted recruit still commit to a school that you blatantly put on life support cannot make the boys in the suits very happy.

So, you can levy the $60 million fine against Penn State University, Mark Emmert, because Penn State may have just landed themselves a QB who could very well be making that in a contracted salary one day.

Jack is a College Football Contributor for Rant Sports. Follow Jack on Twitter @FSUYankee14